Fans of the many Dracula movie adaptations from Dracula, the novel written by Bram Stoker, know it because it features one of the most well-known, classical monsters . The same can be said for the book. It is known as one of the most famous pieces of English literature. 

Although written in 1897, Dracula is known for its gothic horror style. Once released, fans reviewed the book positively for its resourcefulness during horror scenes. The origins of the main character’s name, Count Dracula, come from Stoker mistakenly taking the word Dracula to mean devil in Romanian. 

As it’s based on Romanian folklore in Transylvania, some scholars claim that Count Dracula was inspired by the former Wallachian prince, Vlad the Impaler, or the countess Elizabeth Báthory, but no mention of such claim was seen in Stoker’s notes. 

Dylan Mattias ’24 said, “Word on the street is that Vlad the Impaler one time invited the poor people to his castle and killed them all.” 

Such stories are commonly rumored to be true, creating a less-than-ideal image of this Wallachian Prince. Creating such a large impact on the western world, there have been over 30 movies and multiple media appearances of Count Dracula. 

This year marks the 125th anniversary of Dracula. From the beginning of Bram Stoker’s writing to today, there are still countless fans of the novel and its many adaptations on film and elsewhere, and many modern day portrayals of vampires such as “Interview with the Vampire,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “True Blood,” “Twilight,” and “The Vampire Diaries.”

The most famous and highly rated movie was based on the original novel, with some changes in plot and character. “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” sunk its teeth into theaters in 1992 and starred Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, and Gary Oldman as the title character.   

This movie celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and proves that Dracula, although unseeable in mirrors, still has a strong presence in popular culture.